The reason I’m calling this a vegetarian Spaghetti Alla Putanesca is because the original recipe calls for anchovy fillets and I haven’t used any! Come to think of it, I actually have consciously avoided any recipe that calls for the use of anchovy. I love fish, I really do.. But in the form of canned fillets which remind me of cat food by the way… I have avoided them. I’ll let you know when I pick up the nerve to try some, but till then this recipe will be what it is. It’s a really simple, tasty and speedy dish by the way, so don’t hesitate to try it. Spaghetti Alla Putanesca (sans anchovies) Cooking time: 35 mins Serves: 4 What you need: 3 Tbsp Olive Oil 2 Garlic cloves (finely chopped) 1/2 cup Black olives (pitted and chopped)1 Tbsp Capers, drained and rinsed 1 kg tomatoes, peeled and chopped Pinch of Cayenne pepper/ chilli powder1 dried Red Chilli, torn into pieces Salt 400 gms dried Spaghetti 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Parsley to garnish What to …

What is it about the color yellow that makes us think of summer and feel happy at the same time? Perfect for a dreary winter night, this chowder has loads of yellow in it! Corn, cheese, potatoes and cream. When you finally eat it, the happiness of the yellow gets transferred onto your face in the form of a content smile. Chowder is a thick soup, usually milk based, made with seafood, fish, vegetables or chicken. The name comes from the French chaudiere, a copper pot in which fishermen’s wives cooked a communal soup from a share of each man’s catch to celebrate the safe return of the fishing fleet from the sea. OK, so this recipe does not have fish but the story does make you feel all warm and benevolent, just like this soup! Corn and Cheese Chowder Cooking time: 30 mins Serves: 8 What you need: 90 gm Butter 2 large Onions, finely chopped 1 clove Garlic, crushed 2 tsps Cumin seeds 4 cups (1 ltr) Chicken stock 2 medium Potatoes, peeled …

If I had to have only one type of cuisine for the rest of my life it would have to be Indian food. Maybe I’m partial to it because I’m an Indian, but I’m lying if I say that’s the only reason. I’m actually kinda cheating when I say ONE type of cuisine, cause it’s not one actually 🙂 Indian Cuisine is so diverse you can just spend the whole of your life sampling all the dishes and you would still have not covered half the country. Anyway, the recipe below is a North Indian favorite. You can serve it as a starter or a main course (like I have with some Ghee rice). You can substitute Ricotta for Cottage cheese, it would give you the same results. As for the Indian spices, if you don’t have them… then don’t make the dish! It won’t be the same … Honest. Hariyali Paneer Tikka Cooking Time: 15 mins Serves 6 as starter and 4 as main course What you need: 500 gms paneer (cubed) 1 big Capsicum …

One of the staple ingredients that I have in my kitchen is good quality pasta. You can toss in some veggies and sauce and voila you have something edible and yummy in less than 15 minutes. That definitely qualifies as a sure fire idea for a work day dinner. It also helps that the co-resident is a big fan of Cheese Sauce, so there will be no negotiating the day’s dinner plan when this recipe is announced. The main veggie in this recipe is Peppers or Capsicums, but you can substitute mushrooms, broccoli, corn, spinach etc etc etc. Be creative! Peppers can be found in a variety of colours – Red, Yellow, Green and Orange. Red peppers tend to be the sweetest when cooked, while the green ones are the spicy ones. So use them liberally to spice up your dish – taste and looks wise both! Peppers are also an excellent source of antioxidants so it probably will spice up your looks as well 🙂  Pasta with Peppers in a Cheese Sauce Cooking time: …

Alfredo sauce is a world famous Italian sauce – for its wonderful flavor as much as its calorie rich ingredients! Butter, Cream and Parmesan Cheese. Well I’m not going to apologize that this post has nothing to offer for a person on a diet. But I will throw in a variation to make this recipe slightly less rich… ahem ahem. I have also used chicken but feel free to jump on the calorie bandwagon by substituting bacon. Fine, fine I really am not trying to fatten up the whole world, but being blissfully content for one night is not such a sin! Farfelle Alfredo with Chicken What you need: 2 skinless chicken breasts 2 Tbs olive oil2 tsp crushed garlic (optional for sauteing chicken) 2 Tbsp butter 1 cup heavy cream ½ cup grated Parmesan400 gms Farfelle PastaSalt to your taste a little ground black peppera pinch of sugardash of nutmeg What to Do: The key to this recipe is keeping everything you need at hand, because you need to toss it all in at …

So here’s THE sauce that I was talking about. It’s pretty much a fail safe recipe and so much more flavorful and satisfying than the store bought varieties. Also when there is an overload of tomatoes in the market which you bought home just because they looked “so nice and juicy”, I suggest putting them to good use in this recipe. This sauce recipe can be used in so many dishes that it’s great to have around. And it’s perfectly healthy!!! Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce What you need:1 kg Tomatoes (pureed)500 gms Blanched Tomatoes3 cloves garlic1 Large Onion, minced6 cloves1 teaspoons basil1 Tbsp Rock salt1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper2 Tbsp sugar1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil What to do:In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Squash the blanched tomatoes with your hands in a bowl and toss into the pot. Saute for a 3-5 mins. Now add the puree. Season with the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20-30 mins. Check seasoning. Mamma Mia!

Aubergines/ Eggplants are not the co-resident’s favorite vegetable. Forget favorite, it does not even feature in an “I like” list. So when I suggested I was going to make Aubergine Parmesana, the response was a turned up nose and a resigned sigh. Not an encouraging start! When I started frying the aubergine, there was a grunt of approval and finally when the dish popped out of the oven, he ate more than me. So I’ve copied this recipe to help you convert others, after all who can hate a vegetable which is the color of royalty – purple! Aubergine Parmesana What you need:1 large/ 2 small Aubergines/ Eggplants2 Med EggsFlour for dustingSalt and Pepper to tasteOil for frying2 cups Italian Tomato Sauce (Store/ Home made)2 Garlic cloves1 tsp crushed red pepper flakesA few leaves of fresh Basil/ 2 Tbsp dried Basil150 gms Mozzarella cheese (grated)½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated) What to do:Preheat oven to 375F/ 190C. Start by salting and pressing the eggplant (aubergine). You need to do this several hours before you start the …

Hummus is a dip/ spread that is made from chickpeas. In fact, hummus is the Arabic word for Chick pea. The cool thing about Middle eastern food is that no recipe is set in stone. You can vary the ingredients to suit your taste and still end up with something amazing on your plate. This delicious puree can be served over salad, as part of a Turkish style mezze, a dip or even as a sandwich filling. Don’t let rules bind you … go have some fun! Hummus Bi Tahini (with Tahini – sesame paste) What you need:Juice of two lemons2 Garlic cloves, sliced2/3 cup Tahini pasteFlat leaf parsley – to garnish¾ cup dried Chickpeas2 Tbsp Olive oilPinch of Cayenne PepperSalt and Ground Black pepper, to tasteExtra Olive oil and Cayenne pepper for sprinkling What to do:Put the chickpeas in a large bowl with plenty of cold water and leave them to soak overnight. Throughly rinse and drain the chickpeas, then place them in a large pan and cover with fresh water. Bring to the …